Dr. James Underhill came to Idaho Springs in 1897 and was a prominent Colorado surveyor and mining engineer. Underhill was a Harvard graduate who wrote a number of books on surveying. He surveyed many of the city plots and mines in and around Idaho Springs. He was also a professor at the Colorado School of Mines, and it is worth noting that he was the first person in Colorado to earn his doctorate in geology.
He and his wife, Lucy, constructed 1416 Miner Street as a combination home and office with two front entrances, one for business calls and the other for social visits. Dr. Underhill lived in this building until his death in 1954 at the age of 83. Lucy remained until 1963, when she deeded the building to the Idaho Springs Public Library for use as a museum. In 1964, it became the property as well as the management and preservation responsiblity of the Historical Society of Idaho Springs. It was Lucy's desire that it never become a tavern.
At the back of the home is Lucy Underhill's Victorian Garden and Courtyard. She was an avid gardener and grew delphiniums that were much taller than she was. She enjoyed entertaining her guests in the courtyard.
